Application of mindfulness-based stress reduction to a stress management intervention in a study of a mining sector company.
Dorota Molek-Winiarska, Dorota Żołnierczyk-Zreda
International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE December 2018 DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2018.1452843 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 66 |
| Population | Workers at a copper mine |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 40-h MBSR training |
| Measures | Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Adaptation Mental health Work-related stress Workplace |
| Key findings | MBSR training significantly increased job decision latitude and social support and significantly decreased GHQ-28 anxiety and depression scores among copper mine workers. The authors conclude that MBSR can be effective in reducing stress from the external risk, or imagined fear, of losing one's health or life, and recommend its use in health and safety activities in difficult and dangerous work conditions such as mining. |
Abstract
The aim of this article was to check whether mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an effective intervention in reducing work-related stress in the case of workers in a copper mine. Sixty six employees were randomized to the experimental group (32 participants) or to the control group (34 participants). Work-related stress was measured using the job content questionnaire (JCQ) and mental health was measured using the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) Experimental manipulation was 40-h MBSR training. Multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a significant increase of JCQ decision latitude (F = 17.36, p < 0.001) and social support (supervisor F = 9.00, p < 0.004; coworker F = 5.61, p < 0.020), and a significant decrease in GHQ-28 anxiety (F = 5.28, p < 0.079) and depression (F = 3.95, p < 0.048) due to the intervention. The study confirms that MBSR can be effective in reducing stress resulting from the external risk (and/or imagined fear) of losing one's health or life. The use of MBSR could be recommended in health and safety activities in difficult and dangerous work conditions, such as mining, to promote workers' well-being.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Mindfulness-Based and Mindfulness-Informed Interventions at the Workplace: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis of RCTs. Mindfulness May 11, 2023
- Personality traits, mindfulness, and perceived stress in Chinese adults: a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach Frontiers in Psychology January 3, 2025
- Effectiveness of a mindfulness program in changing attitudes to reduce work stress: a randomized controlled trial Frontiers in Public Health September 22, 2026
- Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Salivary Cortisol and α-amylase Level, Anxiety and Depression in Students: A Randomized and Parallel-Group Clinical Trial. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback July 22, 2025
- Developing a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Entrepreneurial Stress Reduction Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies July 26, 2024
and 1 more in the library
Cites 9
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- The Impact of an Innovative Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on the Health and Well-Being of Nurses Employed in a Corporate Setting Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health April 1, 2013
- Association of psychological and physiological measures of stress in health‐care professionals during an 8‐week mindfulness meditation program: mindfulness in practice Stress and Health August 23, 2005
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for GPs: results of a controlled mixed methods pilot study in Dutch primary care British Journal of General Practice January 28, 2016
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for managers: a randomized controlled study. Occupational Medicine November 1, 2016
and 4 more in the library